MotoGP races in Qatar and Thailand cancelled due to travel restrictions

Posted by Jim Koorampoikayil

MotoGP, the world’s most anticipated motorcycle racing series, has officially cancelled its season-opening event in Qatar scheduled for March 8 and postponed the second race on the calendar in Thailand indefinitely due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, although Moto2 and Moto3 races will go ahead as planned.

It was always speculated two or three weeks ago that the MotoGP schedule could be interrupted by the virus. It was speculated that travel restrictions from Thailand to the US might be the issue. Instead, the cancellation was due to the rapid spread of the virus in Italy. All travellers from Italy to Qatar are required to spend two weeks in quarantine, and with most riders and team members from Italy unable to compete, MotoGP organisers Dorna and the FIM have decided to cancel the MotoGP race.

The Moto2 and Moto3 teams are unaffected as they were already in Qatar for the final pre-season test when the travel restrictions were imposed.

There is also an update that the Thailand round of MotoGP, scheduled for 22 March 2020, has now been postponed or possibly cancelled at the request of the Thai government. This means that the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of the Americas in Texas on 5 April will be the opening round – if it happens.

As of Saturday, the World Health Organisation had reported 888 cases in Italy of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus that originated in China, and 21 deaths. Italy has more cases than any other country except China and South Korea.

I can say with certainty that the biggest possibility of a season interruption is the inconvenience of travel restrictions. The MotoGP season starts with four intense races planned in the world’s four major geographic locations – Qatar, Thailand, the United States and Argentina – before settling into the heart of the schedule in Europe. At this stage, it’s hard to predict whether other races will be cancelled, although there has been speculation and reports about whether the COVID-19 outbreak could cause the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, MotoGP’s only round in North America, to be cancelled. There are only 15 cases of the virus in the United States, so what’s the concern?

If the US Grand Prix is ​​to go ahead, I also wonder if attendance will be affected. Is it possible that people will still want to go to the track where all the race teams, coaches and crews have travelled from East Asia? I strongly believe that a lot of that depends on what happens between now and April and how the public’s perception of the risk of the virus changes over time… Let’s wait and see…!!

Our team at AlhaweeMotors wishes you all safety from any kind of viral infection. Nothing is more important than your safety. I would encourage you to visit trusted websites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. And yes, if there is a silver lining to the coronavirus, it may be that we are spending more time at home with our loved ones. Take care of yourself.